Schools and child care centers can now obtain valuable information about keeping their drinking water free from lead and other contaminants through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s “3Ts for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water in Schools” program. The Web-based program is geared toward those educational facilities that operate a regulated public water system.

Any facility operating its own drinking water supply is considered to have a public water system and is therefore subject to the regulations of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). A public water system provides water for human consumption to an average of at least 25 individuals a day from its own water source (i.e., a well), treats the water in some way, or sells the water to its constituents.

Identifying lead in drinking water, protecting the water source from contamination, and practicing water conservation are a few of the tips included in the program.